English Skills Book 2

Contents
Reading Our World 4 Reading Who Can Jump 46

Activities 5 the Highest?
Initial Sounds 6 Activities 47
Capital Letters 7 Magic E 48
Activities 8 Nouns 49
Activities 9 Writing 50
Activities 51
Reading Swallows 10
Activities 11 Reading King of the Birds 52
Phonics 12 Activities 53
Writing 14 Nouns 55
Published by Collins Activities 57
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Reading The Playful Puppy 16
77–85 Fulham Palace Road Activities 17 Reading The Ladybird 58
Hammersmith Initial Blends 18 Activities 59
London Capital Letters 19 Magic E 60
W6 8JB Writing 20 Grammar 61
Activities 63
Browse the complete Collins catalogue at Reading The Pine Tree 22
www.collinseducation.com Activities 23 Reading The Frog 64
Phonics 24 Activities 65
Writing 26 Grammar 67
© HarperCollinsPublishers Limited 2011, on behalf of the author
First published in 2006 by Folens Limited. Reprinted 2007, 2008. Activities 69
Reading At the Zoo 28
ISBN-13: 978-0-00-743719-1 Activities 29 Reading The Little White Cat 70
Word Families 30 Activities 71
Any educational institution that has purchased one copy of this publication may make
Capital Letters 31 Vowel Digraphs 72
unlimited duplicate copies for use exclusively within that institution. Permission does
not extend to reproduction, storage within a retrieval system, or transmittal in any
Writing 32 Nouns and Verbs 73
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, Activities 33 Writing 74
of duplicate copies for loaning, renting or selling to any other institution without the Activities 75
permission of the Publisher. Reading The Giant Panda 34
Activities 35 Reading The Koala 76
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Initial and Final Blends 36 Activities 77
A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library.
Full Stops 37 Digraphs 78
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission Writing 38 Revision 79
for the use of copyright material. The authors and publishers will gladly receive any Activities 39 Activities 80
information enabling them to rectify any error or omission in subsequent editions.
Reading The Goose that Laid the 40
Editor: Geraldine Sowerby Golden Eggs
Layout artist: Patricia Hollingsworth Activities 41
Illustrations: Tony Randall
Consonant Digraphs 42
Cover design: Martin Cross
Editorial consultant: Helen Whittaker Question Words 43
Writing 44
Printed and bound by Hobbs the Printers Ltd, Totton, Hampshire, England. Activities 45
2 3
Reading Activities
A Read about our world. A Write yes or no.

Our World 1. We live on a planet called Mars.
We live on a planet called Earth. The Earth is round, like a ball. It is one 2. There are nine planets in the Solar System.
of nine planets which move around the Sun. The path each planet
takes around the Sun 3. The Earth is the only planet in the Solar
is called its orbit. The Earth System with life.
Sun and the planets 4. Most of the Earth’s surface is land.

together are called the

Sun
Solar System. The Earth 5. The largest pieces of land are called islands.
is the only planet in the

6. There are seven continents.
Solar System which has

Moon
living things.
Most of the surface of B Unscramble these sentences.
the Earth is covered
1. is continent a Europe.
in water. The largest
pieces of land are
called continents. 2. live on We Earth.
There are seven
continents. They are
Africa, Antarctica, 3. places Some lots of have rain.
Asia, Australia, Europe,
North America and
South America. Can
you find them all on C Choose the correct word.
the map? Do you live 1. The Earth is a . (continent, orbit, planet)
on one of them? 2. There are nine planets which move around the .
Some places on Earth are flat (Sun, Earth, Moon)
and some have mountains. 3. The Earth’s path around the Sun is called its .
Some places are hot and some (continent, orbit, planet)
are cold. Some places have
4. Africa is a . (continent, orbit, planet)
lots of rain and some are very
dry. Some places are near the 5. There are (many, seven, nine) continents.
sea and some are inland. What
is it like where you live? 6. You can find the continents on a . (mat, map, man)
4 5
Initial Sounds Capital Letters
A Write the correct initial letter (a, e, i, o, u). We use a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence.
f
Examples: It is a cold day. Meg has a new coat.
A Write these sentences correctly.
1. the bear is brown.
2. yasmin has a new red bike.
3. an old tree fell down.
4. a bee stung me.
5. tom likes doing homework.
B Write the correct initial letter.

B Unscramble these sentences.
Add capital letters.
1. the tall fell man.
2. fish the orange is.
3. kitten my is lovely.
4. house my in is town.
5. books ben reading loves.
6 7
Activities Activities
A Write about yourself. Choose the group name.

1. My name is .
Example: Monday, Friday, Sunday. The group name is days.
2. I am years old. flowers birds fruit seasons animals places clothes drinks
3. I have eyes.
A
1. spring, summer, winter
4. I have hair.
2. apple, orange, banana
5. I live in . 3. skirt, dress, shirt
6. I have brother(s). 4. robin, chicken, blackbird
7. I have sister(s). 5. Africa, Japan, Bogotá
8. The name of my school is . 6. fox, squirrel, rabbit
9. I am in class. 7. tea, coffee, milk
10. There are children in my class. 8. tulip, daffodil, daisy
11. My teacher’s name is .

B Write the missing words.
12. My favourite colour is .
live Earth dry covered Solar
13. My friends are called . hot planet some lots mountains
14. The things I like doing are: We on Earth. It is the only in the
. System which has life. Most of the Earth is
by ocean. Some places on are
B Draw a picture of yourself and your friends.
flat and some have . Some places are
and some are cold. Some places have
of rain and are very .
C Unscramble these letters.
1. odlc
4. rtahE

2. anir
5. atenlp
3. saiA
6. coane
8 9
Reading Activities
A Read about swallows. A Answer these questions using complete sentences.
1. Where do swallows live?
2. What do swallows eat?
3. How many eggs does a female swallow lay?
4. Who are the young birds fed by?
5. Where do swallows live during spring and summer?
6. Where do swallows spend the winter?

Swallows
Swallows have long, pointed wings and a forked tail. A swallow’s back
is covered in shiny, dark-blue feathers. The feathers on its chest and
B Label each picture. Colour them in.
underneath its wings are white or cream. Its throat is red.
Swallows live in gardens, marshes, moors and fields. Swallows eat

insects which they catch in the air. They build nests on ledges in
barns and sheds. The bowl-shaped nest is built from mud and grass,
and is lined with soft feathers and hair. The female swallow lays
between four and six eggs. She sits on them for about two weeks. __________
While she sits on the eggs, the male swallow feeds her. When the eggs
have hatched, the young birds are fed by both parents.
Swallows live in Europe during spring and summer, from April to

September. In September they flock together in big groups and fly to
Africa. They spend the winter in Africa, where it is much warmer and ______
there is plenty of food. In the spring they fly north again. ________
10 11
Phonics Capital Letters
A Choose the correct missing letter (a, e, i, o, u). We use a capital letter for the names of people.
Example: Ben gave Sam an apple.
n_t p_n b_n b_t A Write these sentences correctly.
1. mansa and femi are twins.
r_d m_p m_t c_t 2. My friend’s name is emma.
3. baldev goes fishing with prasad.

d_g n_t l_g f_n
4. the teacher gave ken and pam a star.
s_n b s_
p_n p_g 5. kim got an orange and kate got a banana.
B Ring the correct word. 6. rani is taller than badra.
pull pill dull doll duck luck bill bell

Do not forget capital letters!
1. likes ben dogs and likes jim cats.
2. hedgehog henry the asleep is.

hall hill rack rock well will lock luck
3. playing zindel is lantz with.
4. smaller sally is sam than.

suck sack beg bed bad bag tap tan
12 13
Writing Activities
A Write two sentences for each picture. Use the help words. A Choose the ‘group name’.
My Birthday birds trees fruit flowers dogs vegetables animals fish
1. rose, buttercup, snowdrop
postman parcel card

2. oak, beech, horse chestnut
1.

3. plum, apple, orange
4. trout, salmon, cod

2.
5. lion, elephant, monkey

6. boxer, greyhound, poodle
opened money book 7. robin, magpie, crow
1.
8. carrot, turnip, cabbage
B Choose the correct word.

2.
fur feathers scales wool shell thick skin

1. A fish has a covering of .
friends party games 2. A sheep has a covering of .
1.
3. A swallow has a covering of .

4. A squirrel has a covering of .
5. A crab has a covering of .
2.

6. An elephant has a covering of .

blew candles sang C Choose the missing words.

1.
hatched feathers eggs parents nests birds two
Swallows build their from mud and grass, and line

them with soft and hair. The female swallow lays

2.
between four and six . She sits on them for about

weeks. When the eggs have , the
young are fed by both .
14 15
Reading Activities
A Read the story. A Answer these questions.

1. What is the name of the story?
2. What did Pam throw?
3. What did the duck do?
4. Where did the stick land?
5. What did the puppy bark at?
6. How did Pam hold the puppy?
The Playful Puppy 1. Pam threw a (ball, straw, stick).

2. The duck swam behind a (lamb, lion, log).
Pam’s chased after a that Pam threw. The fell with 3. The puppy (grabbed, drank, ate) the stick.
a splash into a and the little jumped in after it. 4. A (sheep, horse, house) looked over an old
gate.
A quacked and swam behind a . The puppy 5. The puppy (ran, barked, baked) at the horse.
grabbed the stick. He dropped it at Pam’s . He splashed her 6. Pam (bed, bell, led) the puppy home.
as he shook himself dry. A looked over an old and

the barked at it. Pam held the playful puppy by the . She 1. pyupp
4. ydr
led it up the and home for tea. 2. spshla

5. edbark
3. ickst

6. mohe
16 17
Initial Blends Capital Letters
A Write the missing letters. We use a capital letter for the word I.
st fl gl sw cr br Example: I like my school.
1. Meera and i were going to the party.

ag ab ag
2. i wish i was going to the party.
3. i said i was sick.
im ass ick 4. i like apples but i prefer bananas.
B Ring the correct initial sounds. 5. i wish i could sing the song.
6. Dad said i could go so i am going.
bl cl gl sl st tr st cr tr
Do not forget capital letters!
1. landed an alien i and saw it.
pr cr dr st gr br br cr dr 2. said i was i home going.
3. and tom i going are swimming.
4. the i read book and i it loved.

gr br cr gl cl pl fl gl cl
18 19
Writing Activities
A Write two sentences for each picture. Use the help words. A Choose the correct word.
A Visit to the Zoo 1. A dog has a coat of . (wool, feathers, fur)
2. A dog’s house is called a . (hutch, kennel, nest)

family bus paid tickets
1.
3. A baby dog is called a . (cub, kid, puppy)
4. A happy dog wags its . (ear, tail, head)
2.
5. An angry dog . (yells, growls, hops)

6. A dog has four . (eyes, tails, paws)
monkeys cage swinging laughed

B Choose the missing words. Colour the picture.
1.
2.
lion roared hid scared

1.
2.

chased home stung bee
tulip nose butterfly puppy
seals fish bucket jumped
1.
The playful chased a into a
flowerbed. He stuck his into a .

An angry flew out. The bee the

2.
puppy on the nose. The puppy ran . He never

a butterfly again!

20 21
Reading Activities
1. Who heard the pine tree’s wish?
2. Who picked all the golden leaves?
3. What happened to the glass leaves?
4. What happened to the green leaves?
5. Was the pine tree big or small?

The Pine Tree
6. Was the pine tree happy in the end?
A little pine tree was very unhappy. “I hate having green needles,”
said the little tree. “I wish I had leaves of gold.”
A very kind fairy heard the pine tree. She waved her magic wand
and the little tree got leaves of gold!
However, a robber came by and saw the golden leaves. “Ha!
B Choose the correct name for each leaf.
Ha!” he said. “I have found gold.” He picked all the leaves and soon oak holly chestnut beech ash
the little pine tree was bare. “Maybe glass leaves would be better,”
thought the little tree. So the little fairy waved her magic wand and
the pine tree got leaves of glass.
However, as soon as the wind began to blow, all the glass leaves
got broken. Once again the pine tree was bare. “I wish I had green
leaves,” grumbled the tree. The kind fairy gave the tree green leaves
and for a while the tree was happy.
______ _____ _________ _______ _____
However, soon a goat came along. “What juicy leaves,” he said,
“and I can reach every leaf!” The hungry goat ate every single leaf
on the tree. Once again the pine tree was bare.
“Oh dear! Oh dear!” cried the tree. “Green leaves are fine for big C Unscramble these letters.
trees, but I wish I could have my needles back. Robbers will not steal 1. seaelv
4. toga
them, the wind will not break them and goats will not eat them.”
Next morning, her needles were back. “These are the best kind of 2. sslga
5. yiafr

leaves,” laughed the little tree and she was never unhappy again. 3. dlog
6. reborb
22 23
Phonics Capital Letters
A Ring the correct word. We use capital letters for the names of places.
Example: Moscow is the capital of Russia.
1. The ship sailed from new york to london.
bunk bank dust dump bend belt bump pump

2. The capital of france is paris.
3. Rice is grown in india and china.
4. The jet landed at singapore airport.

hunt hump belt desk milk mist sulk sunk
5. The train is going to lima and then la paz.
6. I have a cousin in mumbai and an uncle in karachi.
damp bank jump bump test tusk sulk risk

B Try this capital
B Ring the correct final sounds. cities wordsearch. a C O t t a w a
C a i r o g i h
Ottawa Rome
R n h D e l h i
Cairo Accra
o b e d i g e t
lp lt ld nd lt nt ld mp nd Pretoria Canberra
m e n s a f o a
Riyadh Rabat e r a k l y m b
Delhi Brasilia P r e t o r i a
st sk sp st lt sk st nd nk B a A c c r a R
24 25
Writing Activities
A Write three sentences for each picture. Use the help words. A Write by or buy.
The Tyre Swing 1. I have to a new copy.

2. John, are you going the school?
tyre swing tree rope
3. I don’t have the money to sweets.
1.
4. The bus went the bus stop.

5. Where can you a newspaper?

2.
6. The book was written Lin Yung.

7. The rabbit ran the fox.

3.
8. The picture was painted Deepak Patel.

Write the missing words.

pond splash accident worried green broken fairy glass robber morning
1.
leaves happy gold tree needles

A little pine tree didn’t like her green . She wished
2.
for leaves of . A fairy gave her of gold

but a stole them. The pine tree wished for leaves
3.
of . The gave her leaves of glass
but they got . The pine wished for

leaves but a goat ate them. The pine tree wished

boat fun paddle for her own needles again. Next , her needles were
1.
back. The pine tree was now .

Write yes or no.

2.
1. The fairy was a kind fairy.

2. A robber ate the golden leaves.

3.

3. The robber broke the glass leaves.
4. A goat ate the green leaves.

26 27
Reading Activities
A Read the story. A Write yes or no.
1. Meg and Tom are at the library.
2. Monkeys love to eat bananas.
3. The zookeeper has big gloves.
4. The elephant used her trunk to eat a burger.
5. The camel has a hump.
6. The giraffe has stripes all over its body.
B Answer these questions in full sentences.

1. Where are Tom and Meg?
2. What did one monkey do?
At the Zoo 3. What was the elephant doing?
Meg and Tom are at the . Here are some . Monkeys 4. What kind of neck does a giraffe have?
love to eat . One monkey is cheeky. He pulls a out of a

5. What was the last animal Meg and Tom saw?
lady’s . A zookeeper
with big tells him to give it back.
The children can see an eating an . She uses her 6. What do Meg and Tom think of the zoo?
to put it into her mouth. Here comes a along the .
What a big hump it has! Now look at the . It has a long and C Unscramble these letters.
1. keymon 4. thmou
all over its body. Meg and Tom go to see the . Then they go

2. erkeepzoo
5. mphu
to see the . Meg and Tom love the zoo.

3. renildch

6. dybo
28 29
Word Families Capital Letters
A Make word families. We use a capital letter for week days, months and
special days.
Examples: Tuesday, May, New Year’s Day.
– ing – ck
ing ck
ing ck
ing ck
ing ck
– ll – all 1. new year’s day is in january.
ll all
2. may comes between april and june.
ll all
3. my birthday is on tuesday this year.
ll all
ll all 4. I will be away from february to july.
– old –y 5. april fool’s day is on friday this year.
old y
6. we are going on holiday on the first wednesday in november.
old y
Circle the words which should always have a
old y
B capital letter.
day thursday spring april festival
old y
eid christmas diwali
30 31
Writing Activities
nest burrow run kennel den stable
A Fall of Snow
1. A dog lives in a .
snow deep robin hungry 2. A chicken lives in a .
1.
3. A fox lives in a .

4. A horse lives in a .

2.
5. A rabbit lives in a .

6. A wasp lives in a .
snowman garden scarf
1.
B Write the names of the animals.
2.
snowballs threw friend

_________ _____
1.
2.

_________ _______
sunshine melted ground

1.
C Choose the correct word.
1. Monkeys like . (sweets, bananas, chips)

2. The elephant has a . (bunk, train, trunk)

2.
3. The camel has a . (lump, bump, hump)

4. The giraffe has a long . (deck, neck, peck)

32 33
Reading Activities
A Read about the giant panda. A Answer these questions.
1. What country does the panda live in?
2. What does the panda look like?


3. How long does the panda spend eating?
4. What is a baby panda called?
5. How long does a panda cub spend with its mother?
6. The panda is very rare. What does this mean?
The Giant Panda B Write yes or no.

The giant panda lives in China. It has a large body and a round face. 1. The giant panda lives in China.
It has small ears and a black patch around each eye. Its coat is thick
2. The giant panda is thin.
and waterproof.

3. The giant panda has a black patch around

The panda is a very good climber. Its strong colours help to hide it.
one eye.
The panda has huge teeth. It has very strong jaws to eat bamboo
which is very tough. It has to eat huge amounts of bamboo. It spends 4. The giant panda is a poor climber.
fourteen hours a day eating. The rest of the time is spent sleeping. It 5. The giant panda eats a lot of bamboo.
has no special sleeping place.

6. The giant panda spends little time eating.
The panda cub is tiny. It leaves its mother when it is one and a half
7. The giant panda sleeps for about ten hours.
years old to live alone.

8. Giant panda cubs are tiny.

The panda is now very rare. It is protected in China because there

are so few left. 9. The giant panda can be found everywhere.
34 35
Initial and Final Blends Full Stops
A Ring the correct word. We put a full stop at the end of a sentence.
Example: Jack ran away from the giant.

Do not forget capital letters! 
1. tom is the fastest runner in our school
drum dump crab frog slug plug blob clap 2. goldilocks ate the porridge
3. meg will be eight in august
4. cinderella lost her slipper
stop star plum plug stag flag pram trap

5. ben and i went to the park
B Write the correct missing letters.

6. i lived in france for two years
lk sk st nt mp rk lt sp
B Unscramble these sentences. Do not

forget capital letters and full stops!
1. the fell leaves from trees the

ne__ pu__ be__ wa__
2. was she hungry and thirsty
3. and jack jill up went the hill
4. dumpty humpty on sat wall the

ma__ fo__ mi__ te__
36 37
Writing Activities
A Write two sentences for each picture. Use the help words.
A Write to, too or two.
A Close Call Examples: I have two sweets.

I have to get a new copy.
Pat went home and Ann went too.
children park football kick
1. 1. I have hands and  feet.
2. I have go the shop.

2.
3. Jin-Ho is sick and Shin is .

4. May I have apples?

hit fence road bounced

5. I am going swimming .
1.
6. We want eat.

2.
B Write the missing words.

jaws teeth waterproof coat face
body China panda protected rare
ran after across car half year tiny sleeping fourteen
1.
The giant lives in . It has a large

and a round . Its is thick
2.
and . The panda has huge and very

strong . It spends hours a day
eating and spends the rest of the day
driver brakes skidded missed
1.
. Panda cubs are
and stay with their mothers for a

and a .
2.
The panda is now very

and is in China.

38 39
Reading Activities
1. Who had a goose?
2. Why was the goose special?


3. What did the man and woman do with the eggs?
4. Why did the man and woman kill the goose?
5. What did they find inside the goose?
6. Did they get any more golden eggs?
7. Did they get any more money?
8. What did they get in the end?
The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs

Once an old man and an old woman had a goose. It was a very
special goose. Every day it laid a golden egg. 1. The man and woman were . (young,
middle-aged, old)
The old man and the old woman sold the eggs for lots of money.
However, the more money they had the more they wanted. 2. The couple had a . (duck, swan, goose)
They said, “If our goose lays golden eggs she must be made of gold. 3. A goose is a . (fish, bird, insect)
Let us cut her open and get out all the gold. Then we will have more
money.” 4. A goose has (two, four, six) legs.
They killed the goose and cut her open. Then they found that she 5. A goose has a covering of . (scales, fur, feathers)
was just like any other goose. They found no gold inside. They had
6. The eggs were made of . (silver, gold, metal)
killed the goose so there were no more golden eggs. They did not get
any more money. 7. The eggs were sold for . (food, money, clothes)
In the end they had nothing. 8. The couple were . (kind, selfish, greedy)
40 41
Consonant Digraphs Question Words
We use a question mark if the sentence asks a question.

Examples: Where? What? Who? Why? When? How?
shark children A Add a question mark to each sentence. Answer the
A Write the missing letters: ch or sh.

questions. 
1. Where do you live

2. What is your name

3. Do you have a sister

4. Do you have a pet
ildren __ed __ oot __ips

__
5. How old are you

B Write the correct ‘question’ word. Add question marks.
How What When Why Is Where Does Who
__icken __eet __ est __op
1. your mum know you are here

2. is your sick goldfish

3. time is your bus due

__ adow __ op __ elf __ elter 4. is your homework

5. do you think you are trying to fool

6. did you do that

__ urch __ ip __ air __ in 7. that the way you behave at home

8. did your cat get better

B Draw pictures for these words. Write the missing letters.
C Write questions for these answers.
1.
Ali’s birthday is in October.
2. A swallow is a bird.

3. April has 30 days.
__ ell

__out __ ick __eese
4. A spider has eight legs.

42 43
Writing Activities
A Write two sentences for each picture. Use the help words. A Choose the correct ‘opposite’.
sweet slow fresh noisy
The Merman bright empty heavy false
princess fishing sea boat 1. An orange can be bitter or .
1.
2. A bag can be light or
.

3. A train can be fast or .

2.

4. A bottle can be full or .
5. A loaf of bread can be stale or .

caught merman line
6. Children can be quiet or .
1.

7. Something we write can be true or .

8. The day can be dull or .
2.


zoo hive hospital garage
changed prince handsome wardrobe cinema barracks library
1.
1. Soldiers live in a .

2. Bees live in a .

2.

3. Cars are kept in a .

4. Films are shown in a .
married happily lived
1. 5. Sick people go to a .

6. Books are kept in a .

2.
7. We hang our clothes in a .

8. Wild animals can be seen in a .

44 45
Reading Activities
Answer these questions.
A Read the story. A
1. Where did the flea, the grasshopper and the frog meet?
2. What did the flea, the grasshopper and the frog want to
find out?
3. What did the king say?
4. Who jumped first?
5. What did the grasshopper do?
6. What did the king think of the grasshopper?
7. Who was the last to jump?

Who Can Jump the Highest?
8. Do you think the princess was happy to marry a frog?
The flea, the grasshopper and the frog met at the pond. They
wanted to find out which one of them could jump the highest. They
decided to have a competition. The king, his daughter and lots of
people came. “I will give my daughter to the one who jumps the
highest,” said the king.
The flea jumped first. He jumped so high that no one could see where 1. The flea jumped (last, second, first).
he had gone. Some people said that he had not jumped at all. Next 2. The king thought the grasshopper was (nice,
came the grasshopper. He only jumped half as high, but jumped right cheeky, rude).
into the king’s face! The king was very angry. He thought that the
grasshopper was very rude. 3. The frog stood (up, still, behind).
The frog was the last to jump. He stood so still that people thought he 4. People (love, like, hate) fleas.
wasn’t going to jump at all. Suddenly, he jumped into the arms of the
5. The (grasshopper, flea, frog)
princess.
really jumped the highest.
“There is nothing higher than my daughter,” said the king. “So the
frog shall have her as his wife.” 6. The frog was (silly, clever, stupid).
46 47
Magic E Nouns
A Read each word. Add a ‘magic e’. Read each word again. A noun is the name of a person, place or thing.
Examples: Tom, Asia, London, apple.
cap can tap mat pan
B Unscramble these letters. A Ring the nouns.

1. My name is Meg .
1. ekab 6. gaem
2. Granny is coming today.

2. egat 7. afme
3. Apples are good for you.

3. kale 8. emca 4. Ben and Tom are here.

4. meal 9. adem 5. The rabbit is afraid of the fox .

5. etad 10. ekra 6. Erina is in Egypt .

7. The hen is laying an egg .
C Write the missing letters.
8. The bird is in the tree .
B Write the correct noun.

ball tree glass bone table grass
1. The robin is in the .
_____ _____ _____ _____ 2. Sam kicked the .
3. Sheep like to eat .
4. The cup is on the .
5. I drink water from a .
6. The dog has a .
______ ______ ______ _______
C Write the names of these nouns.
_______ _______ ________ ________ ______ _____ ______ _________

48 49
Writing Activities
A Write two sentences for each picture. Use the help words. A Choose the ‘odd one out’.
1. swan, swing, blue, swim, swap
walking carrying bone

2. shop, sheep, ship, shell, brush
1.
3. skin, floor, sky, skirt, skip

4. slow, clown, slip, sleep, slug
2.
5. sweets, swim, sweep, plum, swallow
6. smoke, white, smile, smell, small
7. spoon, spot, glass, spade, spy
bridge stream crossing

8. stick, story, stable, stamp, drum
1.
9. sharp, shed, shut, shape, fruit
10. snow, snap, sleep, snack, snake
2.

B Write right or write.
1. Do I turn or left here?
himself water greedy
2. Can I to you?
1.
3. The shop is in the middle of town.

4. I with my left hand.

2.
5. It is not to drop litter.

6. Will you the date, please?
opens drops nothing 7. Turn at the crossroads.
1.
8. I will a letter to you.
C How many small words can you make from ‘grasshopper’?

2.

50 51
Reading Activities

1. Where did the birds meet?
2. What landed beside them?
3. Which bird said he could fly faster than the eagle?
4. Where was the race to finish?
King of the Birds 5. Where did the eagle stop for a rest?
One day, all the birds met in a large forest. There were owls, pigeons,
cuckoos, blackbirds, sparrows, gulls, ducks, hawks – every kind of bird
6. Who won the race?
was there. Suddenly, a great eagle landed beside them. “I am the
King of the Birds,” said the eagle. “No other bird can fly faster than I.”
All the birds were silent. Then a tiny wren spoke up. “I can fly faster
than you,” he said quietly. The eagle laughed at this. They decided
to have a race. The first bird to fly to the top of the highest mountain
B Write the names of the birds.
would be the King of the Birds. The race began and soon the eagle
was well ahead of the little wren. In fact, he was so far ahead that he
flew into a cloud for a rest and fell fast asleep.
Up, up and up into the sky flew the brave, little wren. Suddenly,
he came to the cloud where the eagle was sleeping. The poor wren
was so tired that he could fly no further. He flew into the cloud and _______ ______ ______
landed quietly on the eagle’s back. The eagle’s great feathers were
soft and warm. “I think I’ll have a short sleep,” said the wren.
When the eagle awoke, he never felt the tiny wren asleep on his
back. Flapping his wide wings, he hurried away. Hours later, the eagle
saw the top of the highest mountain ahead of him. Suddenly, the
wren awoke. He leapt up into the air, flew past the tired eagle and
straight onto the top of the highest mountain. The wren was the _________ _____ ____
winner and became the King of the Birds.
52 53
Magic E Nouns
A Read each word. Add a ‘magic e’. Read each word again. A Write each noun in the correct list.
Meg apple Cairo pencil Ben Madras
pip rip fin rid fir
Dubai Tom book Erina doll Spain
B Write the correct word. Person Place Thing
pale pipe like hike ride rice wire wide
broke bike tame time fine fire hide hive

B Choose the correct noun.
hedgehog hammer bed monkey fox pond
1. The crow drank water from the .

2. The ran after the rabbit.
pane pine mine mane tile tale hike kite 3. The slept for the winter.
4. The ate twenty bananas.
5. I hit the nail with a .
6. The queen put peas on the .
C Write your own list of nouns.

Person Place Thing
1. etib 6. enif

2. ecir 7. ekil

3. edir 8. elim

4. epir 9. ecid

5. enip 10. enim

54 55
Writing Activities
A Write two sentences for each picture. Use the help words. A Chose the ‘odd one out’.
The Shopping Trip 1. teacher, Ann, nurse, doctor
2. yellow, blue, green, sky
man baker bread

3. apple, pear, turnip, plum
1.

4. skirt, dress, leg, hat

5. piano, violin, wood, drum
2.

6. glass, table, cup, jug
7. elephant, tiger, giraffe, goose

bicycle road basket

8. rose, daffodil, carrot, snowdrop
1.

B Choose the missing words.

asleep back woke on jumped won line
2.
cloud front race King wren eagle forest

One day all the birds met in the . The said
birds followed pecked that he was King of the Birds. The said that he was the
1.
of the Birds. They decided to have a .

The eagle was in of the wren. He decided to stop for a rest

2. in a but he fell . The wren

saw the eagle and landed on his .

The eagle up and flew on.
home empty surprised
1. He didn’t know the wren was his

back. When they got to the finishing

the wren off the
2.
eagle’s back. He flew past the eagle

and the race.

56 57
Reading Activities
A Read about the ladybird. A Answer these questions.
The Ladybird 1. Where does the ladybird lay her eggs?
1 2 2. What creeps out of each egg?
3. How many legs has a grub?
The eggs hatch out. Dark grubs

This ladybird is laying eggs. She lays creep out of each egg. Each grub
4. What creeps out of the chrysalis?
them on a plant covered in greenfly. has six legs. They eat the greenfly.
5. What does the ladybird do to the frog?

3 4
6. What does the ladybird do in autumn?
Now the grubs have grey-blue skin.
They eat again until they are full.
They hang upside down. Their skins
The grubs eat and eat until their skins
burst. They creep out of the old skins.
burst. Each grub has become a
chrysalis.
B Try this wordsearch.
ladybird c h r y s a l i s
5 6
eggs g r u b s b d l a
greenfly r f b c q e c a u
grubs
One week later, a yellow ladybird The ladybird flies away to look for e g w m u k v d t
creeps out. After a while it gets its food. It is very hungry because it
red colour and seven black spots. could not eat when it was a chrysalis. skin
e x h t i j u y u
chrysalis
7 8 n n o s r l y b m
frog
squirt f r o g t s k i n
A frog catches the ladybird. The It is autumn. The ladybird finds a
ladybird squirts a horrible yellow crack in the bark of an apple tree. It liquid l l i q u i d r z
liquid at the frog. The frog drops the creeps inside with another ladybird
ladybird. and goes to sleep. autumn y r p e g g s d c
58 59
Magic E Grammar
A Read each word. Add a ‘magic e’. Read each word again. ‘Doing words’ are called verbs.
Examples: walk, run, fall, talk.
robe code cope rode
B Write the correct word. A Choose the correct verb.

run walk talk read eat drink play swim
pole poke core cone mole pole hole hose
_____ ______ ______ _______

code core cone bone nose rose hole home
______ ______ ______ ______
______ ______ ______ _______

rode robe hole hope rose rope sole note
______ _______ _______ _______

_______ ______ _______ ______
C Choose the correct word. B Ring the verbs.
1. Tom fell off the wall.

1. The king will (dune, rule, pure) for six years.
2. She is humming a very nice (time, tune, tame). 2. The girl ran very fast.
3. He (rode, robe, rude) the horse into town. 3. Hanah read the book.
4. There is no (cube, cure, core) for that illness. 4. Ben cut the paper.
5. I can see a (tube, tune, tide) of toothpaste. 5. Sujit swims on Monday.
6. She is a very (rude, ride, tide) girl. 6. I drink milk every day.
60 61
Writing Activities
A Write two sentences for each picture. Use the help words. A Write the lists below in order of size (the biggest first).
Cat Rescue 1. lamb, cat, person, horse

2. pumpkin, pea, turnip, tomato
noticed trapped roof
1.
3. pigeon, eagle, wren, robin
4. stag, fox, rabbit, hedgehog

5. apple, grape, melon, kiwi

2.
6. boy, man, baby, teenager

7. tiger, elephant, zebra, monkey

telephoned fire brigade told
1.
B Choose the correct verb.
crashed swam galloped hopped
flew opened fell blew

2.
1. A plane . 5. A wind .

2. The fish . 6. The butterfly .

arrived fire engine ladder 3. The horse . 7. Snow .
1.
4. The frog . 8. The door .


2.
1. A cat has a coat of . (wool, fur, feathers)

2. A cat is an . (bird, animal, insect)
3. A cat likes to eat . (corn, fish, snails)
climbed rescued brought
1.
4. A young cat is called a . (cub, pup, kitten)

5. A cat likes to chase . (mice, dogs, cows)
6. A happy cat . (barks, purrs, roars)
2.
7. A cat has a long . (nose, tail, ear)

8. A cat has no . (horns, whiskers, tail)

62 63
Reading Activities
A Read about the frog. A Answer these questions.

The Frog 1. What are the ‘tiny, black dots’?
1 2 2. What do tadpoles eat?
3. Why does the tadpole have gills?
4. Which legs grow first?

Soon the black dots grow bigger and
become baby tadpoles. The tadpoles
eat the jelly and wriggle out to get
At first, frogs’ eggs look like tiny, more food. The tiny tadpoles love to
5. What happens to the tadpole’s tail?
black dots inside balls of jelly. eat water weeds.
6. What will the young frogs eat?
3 4

1. Frogs’ eggs look like black . (tops, dots, pots)
2. Tadpoles eat the . (belly, telly, jelly)
The tadpole has gills so that it can
get air from the water. It looks like The back legs come first. They grow 3. The tadpole has . (bills, gills, gulls)
all head and tail until its legs begin to strong and long so that the frog can
grow. jump. 4. The tadpole’s (back, front, frost) legs grow first.
5. The tadpole loses its . (tale, nail, tail)
5 6 6. The frog eats . (flies, flowers, flags)
C Write yes or no.

1. Frogs’ eggs look like tiny, brown dots.
Soon the gills are gone and the front

legs begin to grow. The tail gets 2. Soon the black dots become baby tadpoles.
shorter and shorter until there is

none left. The young frog has used it From now on, the frog must hunt 3. The tadpole has no gills.
up for food. bugs for its dinner!

4. The young frog uses its tail for food.
64 65
Magic E Grammar
A Try this ‘magic e’ crossword. A Write the correct verb.

write cry laugh paint jump hop sing bark
1 2 3
4 5
Across 6
1. A dog would like one.

7 8
4. It comes in and goes
out again. 9 10
6. It is used in ______ _______ ______ _______

the garden. 11 12 13
7. Give and .
9. The bread is not
fresh.
11. You are singing out 14 15
of . 16
14. Horses and ponies
have one. 17 18
16. It is full of water, fish

and plants.
17. It rhymes with mice. ________
_____ ______ ______
19. If it’s not wild it must 19
be .
20
20. It has thirty days.
21. It is like a small rock.
B Ring each verb, then write it.
Down
2. You bring one if you are late. 1. Tom dog sing tree
3. Give some to other people. 21
5. You will find one on the calendar. 2. cat Emma frog hop
8. You can fly it on a windy day.

10. You might see one on the beach. It rhymes with tune. 3. baby run milk ball
12. Everyone has one but most people like their own.
13. You might find one in a classroom. It spins around. 4. rabbit Sam look tea
15. 4 + 5 = this number.

16. A green fruit like a lemon. 5. fox Ben pen fall

18. You get one on your birthday.

20. A short, funny story. 6. swim teddy book Meg
66 67
Writing Activities
The Treasure Chest 1. A frog . (roars, barks, croaks)

2. A frog eats . (nuts, insects, fruit)
pirates ship map
3. A frog has webbed . (ears, eyes, feet)
1.
4. A frog is bigger than a . (flea, person, sheep)

5. A frog can . (fly, swim, talk)

2.
6. A young frog is called a . (toad, caterpillar,
tadpole)

7. An adult frog has no . (eyes, tail, skin)

island beach coconuts
8. A frog loves to eat . (mice, chicks, flies)
1.
B Choose the missing word.

foal kid cub puppy leveret kitten

2.
1. A young hare is called a .

2. A young dog is called a .

looking treasure find 3. A young cat is called a .
1. 4. A young tiger is called a .

5. A young horse is called a .
6. A young goat is called a .
2.

chest open crabs C Choose the correct word.

1.
1. Another word for little is . (large, small, fat, huge)

2. Another word for nice is . (thin, ugly, kind, rough)
3. Another word for difficult is . (easy, fine, nice, hard)
2.
4. Another word for large is . (lean, small, tiny, big)

5. Another word for start is . (end, stop, begin, finish)

68 69
Reading Activities
Choose the correct word.
A Read the story. A
1. Why did the giant kidnap the prince?
2. Why did the king not rescue the prince?
3. Who lived at the Palace of the Silver River?
4. What did the princess give the dogs?
The Little White Cat 5. Why did the white cat run back down the stairs?
A giant lived in a great castle with a hundred doors. Each door was
guarded by a huge dog. The giant hated the King of Ireland who was
richer than he was! One day he kidnapped Prince Conor, the king’s son,
and locked him in a tower in the castle.
The prince could not escape from the high tower. The king and his men B Choose the correct word.
were afraid to come near the castle to help him. One morning, the prince
saw a little, white cat on a branch just outside his window. He told the cat
1. The giant (killed, kissed, kidnapped) the prince.
his sad story. “I will help you,” said the cat. 2. The princess (hated, baked, burnt) cakes.
The cat ran until it came to the Palace of the Silver River. A princess
3. The dogs (eight, ate, ape) the cakes.
called Diana lived there. The cat told her about the prince. Diana
promised to help free the prince from the cruel giant. Before she left, she 4. The giant (rained, roared, roasted).
baked a hundred magic cakes and made a net of magic wool.
5. The (cat, dog, prince) ran back down the stairs.
Then she got on her white horse and raced towards the castle with the
white cat behind her. When the princess reached the giant’s castle, the 6. The princess (through, threw, true) the net.
hungry dogs rushed out to eat her. She fed them with the magic cakes.
Each dog fell fast asleep the moment it ate one of the cakes.
Princess Diana was now able to enter the giant’s castle. She went in the
door and made her way up the stairs to the tower. The giant heard her C Write yes or no.
footsteps and came rushing down. “Who dares to come to my castle?” he 1. The giant locked the king in a tower.
roared.
2. The prince saw a little, black cat.
The little, white cat was so frightened that it ran back down the stairs,

but Diana waited. When the cruel giant came near, she threw the magic 3. The cat went to the Palace of the Golden River.
net over his head. Even a strong giant could not free himself from this net.
4. The princess fed the dogs with magic cakes.
Prince Conor was free at last!

70 71
Vowel Digraphs Nouns and Verbs
A Write the correct ‘oa’ word. A The nouns and verbs have got mixed up.
Write them in the correct ‘jar’ below.
soap goat goat boat road soap coal goal
jump dog
______ ______ ______ ______ hop
coat coal oak oats loan load toast toad apple read
car Tom
king
talk
_______ ________ _______ ________
skip run
toad oats foal float goal coal goat goal ball
draw
cat frog
walk Emma
________ ________ _________ _______
swim teddy
B Write the missing letters in these ‘ai’ words. eat
Nouns Verbs
ai ai ai ai ai

1. I am going to (sale, sail, soil, salt) my boat.
2. I hurt my hand and the (pain, pan, pane, pine)
is awful.
3. I want to get my (hare, hail, hair, rare) cut short.
4. I cannot (wait, waist, wave,wire) for the holidays.
72 73
Writing Activities
swarm litter nest herd pack brood flock shoal
Picnic at the Beach
1. A of elephants. 5. A of bees.
sunny beach raced
2. A of pups. 6. A of fish.
1.
7. A of birds.

3. A of mice.
4. A of wolves. 8. A of chickens.

2.

B Choose the correct ‘opposite’.
soft big wet sweet light black empty stale
sandcastle spades rested sunbed
1. The blackberry is small but the apple is .
1.
2. The nut is hard but the peach is .

3. The sand is dry but the water is .

2.
4. The lemon is bitter but the pear is .

5. The coconut is heavy but the cherry is .

swim crab pinched fright 6. The snow is white but the coal is .
1.
7. The lettuce is fresh but the bread is .

8. The basket is full but the bag is .

2.

1. The (pig, bear, tiger) has a long tail.

rug picnic sandwiches drinks
2. The (horse, cat, rabbit) has a short tail.
1.
3. The (rabbit, mouse, squirrel) has a bushy tail.

4. The (horse, deer, hare) has a long tail.

2.
5. The (lion, sheep, kangaroo) has a short tail.

6. The (lamb, goat, fox) has a bushy tail.

74 75
Reading Activities
A Read about the koala. A Answer these questions.
1. Where do koalas live?
2. What sort of a tail do koalas have?
3. What is the koala’s favourite food?
4. What does the word ‘koala’ mean?
5. How many hours a day can koalas spend asleep?
6. How long do koalas spend in their mother’s pouch?
The Koala B Fill in the missing letters.

Koalas live in Australia. People sometimes call them ‘koala bears’
but they are not related to bears at all. Koalas have grey fur, with
a white chin and chest. Their ears are fringed with white fur and
they have a large, leathery nose. They have strong, sharp claws for
climbing. They have almost no tail.
Koalas live in forests of eucalyptus trees. Their favourite food is
eucalyptus leaves, but sometimes they eat leaves from other trees
and bushes. Koalas do not need to come down from the trees to find
k__la __calyptus tree
water. They get all the water they need from their food. In fact, the
word ‘koala’ means ‘no drink’ in the language of the Aborigines.
Koalas sleep for up to twenty hours a day. Koalas are solitary, which
means they live alone. Koalas do not sweat to keep cool. Instead,
they cool themselves by licking their arms.
After they are born, baby koalas spend seven months in their
mother’s pouch. After that, they spend five months clinging to their
mother’s back. Even after they have left their mother’s back, young
koalas live near their mother for some time.
__stralia p__ch
76 77
Digraphs Revision
A Find these ‘oo’ words. A Write these sentences correctly. Do not forget capital
letters and full stops!
d s r j k f w p s p o o n d e
1. we have fish on mondays
q k r c x w y b n g f l d s b
fool
v c e w s l h g c x s o y t a 2. ben and i are going to cape town
roof
l v g r o o f s a n o h l r l
tool 3. i am having a party in june
cool m o o n f c o s l h x t o d l
cook c u o e f x o e s z x z o o o 4. jack and tom went to london
food u b g t o o l x f r z a n r o
moon y p w r o f g y r e x l y b n
zoo
w u g b d a b r o o m s g t v
B Ring each verb, then write it.
boot 1. Aba duck sit car
a p o o l f t r s b o o t r s

pool 2. bag Kim bird run
h i d o s r s b h p r d x k h
spoon 3. draw apple Maha grass
shoot g s o c m j s p a q s h o o t
4. poppy pick bee tree
broom q c o o k u i i o t d v i p k
5. sleep box bed Sam
b r v h j p i m d o d e w q i
6. pond Rajan walk table
B Write a sentence for each ‘ew’ word.

C Write the correct noun under each picture.
1. new duck ring horse tent baby ball

2. few

3. flew

4. stew
_______ ______

______
5. grew

6. chew

7. crew

______ ______ ______
8. drew

78 79
Activities
A Ring the two short words in these words. Write them.
1. goldfish = +

2. matchstick = +

3. tightrope = +

4. seasick = +

5. blackberry = +

6. shipwreck = +

7. toothbrush = +

8. rattlesnake = +

9. waterfall = +

10. skateboard = +

1. The bird (walks, flies, hops) over the water.
2. The eagle (swims, swings, swoops) on its prey.
3. The butterfly (hovers, runs, trots) over the flower.
4. The duck (waddles, gallops, leaps) into the pond.
C How many short words can you make from ‘caterpillar’?

80

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Contents

Reading Our World 4 Reading Who Can Jump 46

A Read about our world. A Write yes or no.

Sun and the planets 4. Most of the Earth’s surface is land.

is the only planet in the

A Write these sentences correctly.

1. the bear is brown.

2. yasmin has a new red bike.

3. an old tree fell down.

4. a bee stung me.

5. tom likes doing homework.

B Write the correct initial letter.

1. the tall fell man.

2. fish the orange is.

5. books ben reading loves.

A Write about yourself. Choose the group name.

5. I live in . 3. skirt, dress, shirt

6. I have brother(s). 4. robin, chicken, blackbird

7. I have sister(s). 5. Africa, Japan, Bogotá

8. The name of my school is . 6. fox, squirrel, rabbit

9. I am in class. 7. tea, coffee, milk

10. There are children in my class. 8. tulip, daffodil, daisy

11. My teacher’s name is .

C Unscramble these letters.

A Read about swallows. A Answer these questions using complete sentences.

1. Where do swallows live?

2. What do swallows eat?

3. How many eggs does a female swallow lay?

4. Who are the young birds fed by?

5. Where do swallows live during spring and summer?

6. Where do swallows spend the winter?

Swallows live in gardens, marshes, moors and fields. Swallows eat

Swallows live in Europe during spring and summer, from April to

n_t p_n b_n b_t A Write these sentences correctly.

1. mansa and femi are twins.

r_d m_p m_t c_t 2. My friend’s name is emma.

3. baldev goes fishing with prasad.

B Ring the correct word. 6. rani is taller than badra.

pull pill dull doll duck luck bill bell

1. likes ben dogs and likes jim cats.

2. hedgehog henry the asleep is.

4. smaller sally is sam than.

My Birthday birds trees fruit flowers dogs vegetables animals fish

1. rose, buttercup, snowdrop

postman parcel card

3. plum, apple, orange

4. trout, salmon, cod

6. boxer, greyhound, poodle

opened money book 7. robin, magpie, crow

8. carrot, turnip, cabbage

B Choose the correct word.

fur feathers scales wool shell thick skin

friends party games 2. A sheep has a covering of .

6. An elephant has a covering of .

blew candles sang C Choose the missing words.

them with soft and hair. The female swallow lays

between four and six . She sits on them for about

A Read the story. A Answer these questions.